(01-03-2009 08:17 AM)WindexGlow Wrote: Christmas has long since passed as a christian holiday - the culture has spread around the world. Many celebrate the 25th without celebrating Jesus, Christianity, or the church.

(01-03-2009 08:17 AM)WindexGlow Wrote: Christmas has long since passed as a christian holiday - the culture has spread around the world. Many celebrate the 25th without celebrating Jesus, Christianity, or the church.

Well, I know way back, before Christmas really started, the people used to celebrate the Solstice (hope I got that right), and it would usually include a feast from the bountiful harvest of Spring and Summer, and a bonfire. The bonfire usually involved some kind of pine tree. Different cultures might've thrown in their own religious aspects into it (the Greeks and/or Romans, I believe, called the holiday Saturnalia in worship of the god Saturn.) as time went on. But eventually, Christianity started spreading to the nations of Europe, and became the mainstay of European society. The church then converted the Solstice holiday into Christmas, to celebrate the birth of Jesus. By doing this, the Pagans still had reason to celebrate during this time, and the Christians made their regime "easier to swallow", so to speak. Ever since, Christmas is the holiday most people celebrate (at least, Christians and atheists--Jews and Muslims and Hindus etc. obviously celebrate their own holidays in their own ways).

That's the basic history of Christmas, at least how I understand it happening. I could be wrong, so don't cite me for your term paper, okay?